As we approach the new year, Stones Throw Records is already hinting that quarter one of 2017 is going to be a big one. Last week the storied Pasadena-based label announced that it had launched a vinyl-only subscription service that would bring each and every wax release from the company — 45s, 12-inch singles, box sets and the like — to your doorstep for the fairly reasonable price of $250 on the year. With upcoming releases from Karriem Riggins, Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Tuxedoand Koreatown Oddityalready on the docket, it should be clear that Stones Throw isn’t toying with your wallets.

But the very first vinyl release of 2017 should perk ears and pique interests. For the first time ever, Stones Throw is releasing the Jaylib (that’s Madlib and J Dilla for the new heads) remixes of their classic debut Champion Sound on wax, liberating the legendary extension from your hard drives and guiding them to your direct drives (where they belong, of course.) There’s still no word on a precise release date, but you can follow the link below to get yourself sorted out ahead of new details. You can also hear an unreleased Champion Sound track in the player below, in case you weren’t already foaming at the mouth with anticipation.

Tomorrow, virtually every member of Stones Throw‘s prestigious roster will gather in LA to celebrate the label’s 20th year of screwing faces up with a free festival that will include a special performance from Common. Today, label head and supreme selector, Peanut Butter Wolf, has shared an hour-long 20th anniversary mixtape (originally distributed on cassette as a Japan-only Stussy exclusive) featuring a ton of unreleased gems from Madlib, as well rarities from Dam-Funk, Chrome Canyon, Koreatown Oddity and Egyptian Lover. Stream the full tape down below and peep the track list for a point of reference. Stones Throw fans can also still RSVP for tomorrow’s festivities via the link below.

]]>http://www.okayplayer.com/news/peanut-butter-wolf-20-years-of-stones-throw-mixtape.html/feed0Karriem Riggins is Sitting on 9 Albums of Instrumentals w/ Madlibhttp://www.okayplayer.com/news/karriem-riggins-is-sitting-on-9-albums-of-instrumentals-w-madlib.html
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/karriem-riggins-is-sitting-on-9-albums-of-instrumentals-w-madlib.html#respondFri, 04 Nov 2016 18:30:25 +0000http://www.okayplayer.com/?p=108714Earlier today we had the pleasure of publishing an interview with Karriem Riggins that was brimming with revelations. Though much of it spoke to his keep reading »

Earlier today we had the pleasure of publishing an interview with Karriem Riggins that was brimming with revelations. Though much of it spoke to his work with Common on the Chicago rapper’s freshly-released eleventh studio album, Black America Again, it was the seemingly endless torrent of upcoming releases from the Detroit flag-bearer that is of particularly high-level dreams-really-do-come-true type ism.

One of those revelations was that he and fellow Stones Throw sage, Madlib, sometimes known as The Supreme Team, have been sitting on nine album’s worth of instrumentals as the Jahari Masamba Unit. Though he refrained from dishing out too many details on what that work might sound like, he did shed light on what he claimed to be a “very different” style of workflow between two producers, where he’d send over drums and The Loop Digga fits the rhythms with chopped-up gems.

But that’s really only the tip what’s ahead for Riggins in the weeks and months ahead. While you wait for the full reveal, hear his latest offering as the sole producer of Common’s new album Black America Again via iTunes and hold tight for the next transmission. You won’t want to miss it. Jump back to read our profile on the producer.

Still unpacking our feature interview with the young gawd, Karriem Riggins? Don’t worry you’re not alone. But if you did happen to make your way even halfway through the piece, you’d quickly realize that Riggins is getting ready to cap off his most visible and prolific year to date (collaborating with the likes of Kaytranada and Kanye West on top of his work with Common on Black America Again) in the best way possible: a new solo record.

Riggins confirmed to us that not only was his follow-up to the brilliant 2012 solo debut Alone Together on the way, but would be arriving within the next couple months. The album will be titled The Headnod Suiteand will bring the spotlight back to his off-kilter swing and supreme chop styles in a “very beat-driven album.” Though a precise release date has yet to be revealed, it’ll serve as the beginning of a new phase for the Detroit heavyweight. And we can’t wait to see what’s next. For now, get acquainted with his work on Black America Again, alongside legends like Robert Glasper and Stevie Wonder.

Chances are you’ve known Karriem Riggins longer than you think. Though a staple of Stones Throw‘s prestigious roster of producers, past and present, Riggins falls far outside of the beatsman mold. The son of prominent jazz composer and key player, Emmanuel Riggins, he’s found success as a touring drummer for stars like Dianna Krall and Elton John, yet remains on-call as the go-to man-on-the-skins for a heavyweight like Common, a friend and collaborator of twenty years. Their creative connection was first heard on the One Day It’ll All Make Sense closer, “Pops Rap Pt. 2/Fatherhood,” only strengthening through two decades of consistently potent, musically rich output.

Today, with the release of Common’s eleventh studio album, Black America Again, we see that bond crystallized in a rich tapestry of political savvy and romance. For Common, it’s a moment to use his voice, amplified as it’s ever been, to speak truth to power and address perpetual systemic failures. For Riggins, however, it’s also the first clear sign of a transformation that began with his debut solo record Alone Together — an album that defies all beat-tape conventions with deceptive depths in musicality, polish and stankface-inducing grit — from J Dilla and Madlib contemporary to producer’s producer. An MPC maven in his own right with the pedigree of his storied peers, Karriem serves as the lone producer of Common’s new album, as a composer and arranger alongside jazz-headed geniuses Robert Glasper, Elena Penderhughes, Keyon Harrold and the immaculate Stevie Wonder, tipping a hat to his homeschooling as he blurs past rattling safe foundations.

With Karriem you get the technical know-how of a seasoned studio rat and the fearless sonic explorations of the bedroom beat scene’s best all at once. It’s no wonder he’s got everyone from Kaytranada to Kanye knocking on his door. Which is to say that even with a mile-long resume of superlatives, the best is still yet to come.

And so we chatted over a buzzing line while he made his way through snappy NYC drivers, fresh out of rehearsal for a benefit show with Krall and Rocket Man himself (promising to inform that latter of his inclusion on Tribe’s final farewell), ruminating on this most prolific year. Despite the chaos he is as calm as can be, grateful to have taken the ride, knowing it’s far from over.

Below you’ll learn what’s to come. Pick up Common’s new album Black America Again on iTunes or stream it via Spotify to hear the gawd at work.

____________________________

Okayplayer: It’s been a crazy year for you. Would you say you’re currently at your most visible?

Karriem Riggins: Most definitely. On the production side of things … definitely. It’s been a blessing.

OKP: Well, let’s start with Black America Again. It’s a big beautiful record, but you and Common have been working together since One Day It’ll All Make Sense right?

KR: Yeah. Basically since I met him in 1996 it’s been an ongoing working relationship.

OKP: Can you speak to your chemistry as musicians? What’s it like to be in the studio with him?

KR: In a studio session he’s wide open for creativity man. And there are no boundaries to where we can take it. He’s just one of those open-minded musicians. Like a jazz approach. A lot of jazz musicians that I work with like exploring the possibilities of where things could go and that’s what he’s about. And he’s a phenomenal emcee.

OKP: Did you know when you stepped into the studio together you’d be knocking out a whole album?

KR: No initially it was supposed to be an EP. And he hit me up to do an EP. Like “Yeah I’m working on an EP. Let’s just do a strong five songs, and put it out.” And that was the idea initially… and I just kept sending beats. And he kept writing songs. I think I was in Australia at the time. We did the five and then it turned into six and then it turned into eight, and now like 14 songs.

Scroll down the line-up of Stones Throw‘s free 20th anniversary festival and you’ll likely notice one unfamiliar name from an otherwise very familiar roster: Sudan Archives. According to the label’s site, SA hails from Cincinnati and at just 22-years-old is already garnering the attention of a full-blown virtuoso; one part vocalist, another part visceral, loop-heavy violinist. And it’s all on display in a new performance video that finds the new signee deconstructing Kendrick Lamar’s “King Kunta” and rebuilding it part-by-part as the newly-transformed “Queen Kunta,” which doubles as an unlikely anthem even with strings jabbing where spongy bass lines once laid.

Sudan Archives is currently working on her debut album for the legendary Pasadena-based label, which promises to be an eclectic romp of rhythms. Watch her flip K Dot’s smash in the video below and be sure to visit her Soundcloud page for continued listening. If you happen to be on the blessed coast next weekend, be sure to check out her set and see what all the fuss is about. Check back for more from Sudan Archives in the weeks and months ahead.

At the moment, Peanut Butter Wolf and the whole Stones Throw crew are enjoying some time in Australia and New Zealand taking a victory lap in celebration of the label’s 20th anniversary. While on the island(s) PBW and J Rocc stepped onstage at the BIGSOUND conference to discuss the label’s infancy, touching on the early work of Charizma (RIP,) Madlib and, of course, the late, immeasurably great, J Dilla, amongst other modern day masters.

The story’s certainly one that’s been told before, most notably in the 2013 documentary My Vinyl Weighs A Ton, but the appearance provided PBW a moment to expound on how Dilla’s final masterpiece, Donuts, came to be, shedding light on the car ride to the record store that inspired the label chief to try and convince Dilla of the potential of this particular instrumental album, which was initially a beat tape that Dilla had intended to circulate for rappers. One rapper, Ghostface Killa, took heed to Dilla’s switch-snatching call. You can watch the full panel discussion with Peanut Butter Wolf and J Rocc down below.

The 20th anniversary festivities continue on tonight in Perth and tomorrow in Adelaide.

]]>http://www.okayplayer.com/news/peanut-butter-wolf-on-stones-throws-origins-convincing-j-dilla-to-release-donuts-more.html/feed0Stones Throw Rereleases Knxwledge’s ‘Hud Dreems’ On Vinyl w/ “D-Side” Of Bonus Trackshttp://www.okayplayer.com/news/stones-throw-rereleases-knxwledges-hud-dreems-on-vinyl-w-d-side-of-bonus-tracks.html
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/stones-throw-rereleases-knxwledges-hud-dreems-on-vinyl-w-d-side-of-bonus-tracks.html#respondThu, 08 Sep 2016 16:32:24 +0000http://www.okayplayer.com/?p=106322Over the last few years Knxwledge has made it nearly impossible to keep up with his output. Prolific is an understatement and Knxw’s a man keep reading »

Over the last few years Knxwledge has made it nearly impossible to keep up with his output. Prolific is an understatement and Knxw’s a man of few words. In 2016 alone, Knxw’s released three beat tapes on his endless Bandcamp vortex and an EP as NxWorries with 2016 MVP Anderson .Paak. But while we wait for the full reveal of the .Paak x Knxw connection, Stones Throw is refocusing our gaze to his most polished release to date, the 2015 label debut Hud Dreems.

The Pasadena label has reissued the album on vinyl with a very special “side D” that features 14 bonus tracks that, while short, should hold you over until NxWorries resurfaces with what .Paak claimed to be a “masterpiece.” You can add the album to your bookshelf by hitting the Stones Throw shop today. But if you’re looking to hear new Knxwledge without the $23 price tag, we encourage you, as we have time and time again, to visit his Bandcamp page and dive deep into the void. Recently he joined Earl Sweatshirt on the rapper’s Stay Inside program for RBMA Radio, spinning soul, funk and jazz rarities, which is certainly worth revisiting.

For two decades now, Stones Throw Records has championed the good shit over the bullshit, embodying the very fundamentals of progressive music, in and outside of hip-hop. They introduced the world to the weird, wild and wonderfully prolific mind of Madlib, the late Charizmaand provided a home for J Dilla upon is arrival in LA. But even well beyond their golden period, Stones Throw has pedestaled modern geniuses like Knxwledge, MNDSGN, Dam-Funkand Anderson .Paak, ushering in a whole new generation of forward-minded beatsman and music men already leaving their mark on the game.

And so, as we look back on all of the joy and musical merriments that Peanut Butter Wolf, Jeff Jank and Egon have brought to the world in 20 years, the camp seems intent on keeping its eyes on the future and celebrating what they’ve already accomplished. This spring and summer, PBW, MNDSGN, J Rocc and Samiyam will embark upon a 20th anniversary jaunt that will hit at least three cities on the eastern seaboard, including Orlando, Miami and Brooklyn. And while we can’t say whether anymore will be added in the near future (though we certainly hope that is the case) we encourage you to hit the link below for dates and ticketing info, as the celebration begins this very weekend. Anyone who’s seen the Stones Throw roster at work know damn-well by now that these sets are simply not to be missed.

]]>http://www.okayplayer.com/news/stones-throw-is-hosting-20th-anniversary-bashes-in-brooklyn-miami-and-orlando.html/feed1A New Doc Proves The Los Angeles Music Scene Was Made For The Undergroundhttp://www.okayplayer.com/news/resident-advisor-real-scenes-los-angeles-full-documentary-video.html
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/resident-advisor-real-scenes-los-angeles-full-documentary-video.html#respondTue, 15 Mar 2016 20:10:18 +0000http://www.okayplayer.com/?p=99039If one were to hone in on a singular hub of musical innovation in the 21st century, their journey would rightfully and inevitably bring the keep reading »

If one were to hone in on a singular hub of musical innovation in the 21st century, their journey would rightfully and inevitably bring the city of Los Angeles into pristine focus. Just think: TDE, Stones Throw, Brainfeeder,Soulection and damn-near the gamut of game-changing music crews have all risen from the smog and smoke of Tinseltown, whether by typical industry storm or, in most cases, creating a subterranean storm of their very own.

And while we’ve certainly enjoyed the fruits of this underground surge, a true-blue exploration of LA’s ever-expanding artistic borders has yet to truly rise as high as its contributors. The good folks Resident Advisor have just the thing for that, however. Today, they’ve shared Real Scenes: Los Angeles; a 30 minute documentary that takes you all the way in to LA’s warehouses and abandoned bowling alleys, where the next-gen beat constructors sharpen their craft beneath the silicon that runs through the city’s veins. With Dam-Funk, Mathewdavid and a grip of other locals as your guide, Los Angeles comes alive in the night and proves its beat-scene bustle was meant for the underground. Watch it in full below or catch the broadcast this Sunday, March 19th on KCET.